March12,2013

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) made the following statement regarding the release of the Republican budget:

“Instead of finding a balanced, comprehensive approach to dealing with our deficit right now, the Republican budget introduced today radically reforms Medicare by cutting benefits and turning the system into a voucher program, slashes investments in education and worker training programs for working class families, and fails to raise a penny of revenue. It is intolerable to make these severe cuts without raising any revenues.

“Over the last decade, spending has significantly increased while revenue has been cut leaving us with a deficit around $1 trillion. This is not a recipe for fiscal responsibility. We have a deficit problem that must be addressed, and we need to find savings in all areas of government, but we cannot simply cut our way to a balanced budget.

“Without raising revenues, Medicare, Medicaid, Social security, education, transportation, and other essential programs will face deep, destabilizing cuts. I support raising the revenue necessary to protect these programs. By taking an all-cuts approach to deficit reduction, the Republican budget burdens seniors with cuts to health benefits, deeply cuts essential programs for millions of underserved families, and limits national growth by undermining the investment to our national priorities. This is not fiscal responsibility.

“I hope the House Budget Committee can come together and put forward a balanced approach that responsibly reduces our deficit by making strategic cuts in mandatory and discretionary spending, while also raising revenues. Congress has a responsibility to the American people to address our fiscal issues in a balanced and effective way, which the Republican budget does not offer.”